Sometimes you have to just stop doing something that isn’t fun. Even if it’s an app that you really think is a good idea. If you are not having fun building it, you won’t have fun maintaining it. Don’t be afraid to shelve something that you aren’t into.
I have this app that I have been working on that helps manage courses of any kind. And it’s a great idea, but it’s not fun. I’m not having fun building this thing, and I’m starting to picture what it would be like if people actually paid for it and I had to support it. That picture isn’t pretty and looks an awful lot like work.
Here’s the thing. It was fun when I was teaching courses, but I’m not teaching anymore. I won’t be able to eat my own dog food. I won’t know what features to add because I won’t have any first hand experience in what it’s lacking. So, I think it’s time to move on to something else.
It sucks moving on to something else. I told everyone I was building this thing and most thought it was a great idea. But if you are building something, you have to build it for yourself. I only want to build things that are worthwhile for me, and it’s cool if some people like it and pay for it, but if not, I still have a valuable to for me.
Maybe if I start teaching again it will make sense to build a tool to make it easier on me, but until then it goes on the shelf.
Don’t be afraid to kill something that feels like work.